When it was announced back in early June that Arsenal were set to sign left-back Sead Kolasinac from Schalke on a free transfer, there weren’t too many Gunners fans that even batted an eyelid at the signing.

The 23-year-old was unheard of outside of Germany and as such was a bit of an unknown entity heading into the Premier League season, and there were lingering doubts over whether the Bosnian could add anything to Arsene Wenger’s side and help the north London side in their top-four push.

However, ten games into the new campaign and any pre-season reservations about Kolasinac have been well and truly alleviated after a string of eye-catching performances on the left-side of the defence.

He has become so instrumental to the Gunners’ side that, when it was announced earlier in the week that he could be a doubt for Sunday’s visit to table-toppers Manchester City, you could hear the collective groans.

The 23-year-old picked up a hip injury during the 2-1 win over Swansea City last weekend and is looking doubtful for Sunday’s meeting – even if Wenger offered a glimmer of hope when addressing the press on Wednesday.

His potential absence from the trip to Manchester City will come as a blow to Arsenal fans and Draft Fantasy players alike after his blistering start to the season – he’s already managed to score once and earn three assists from left wing-back – and it may be time to consider the possible alternatives for the upcoming weekend.

Nacho Monreal – Arsenal

Perhaps the most obvious alternative to Kolasinac comes in the shape of his Arsenal teammate Nacho Monreal, who has started the new campaign in equally impressive fashion in the back-line.

The Spaniard battled for a starting role for the majority of last season but he’s come into his own on the left side of the Gunners’ back-three alongside captain Laurent Koscielny, making his presence known at both ends of the pitch and all of a sudden becoming a figure of leadership in north London.

Monreal has featured in every second of Arsenal’s ten Premier League matches to date and it’s fair to say that there’s a reason for that, with only Manchester United defender Phil Jones managing to accrue a higher Draft Fantasy points tally (73) than the Arsenal man after ten outings this campaign.

One of the reasons for this is his impact in front of goal, finding the net twice already this season which has trumped his best-ever tally for a Premier League season after just ten games of the year.

Yet his defensive work has been equally admirable too, currently leading the way in terms of the ‘Kante Rule’ for defenders (20), and he’s been averaging seven defensive actions per match so far.

An away date with Manchester City doesn’t particularly scream ‘pick me’ considering how ruthless they’ve been in front of goal at the Etihad, but Monreal offers himself as a smart long-term option.

Ashley Young – Manchester United

The Premier League has had a habit in recent years of resurrecting careers in an unexpected role, and Jose Mourinho’s decision to deploy Ashley Young at left-back has been a revelation this season.

Luke Shaw’s ongoing injury and fitness woes has left Manchester United depleted on the left-side of defence, leading to Mourinho experimenting with Young, but the former England international has taken to it like a duck to water and put in several exceptional performances in defence since August.

Since making his first Premier League appearance of the season in the 4-0 win against Everton, Young has helped United keep five clean sheets in six matches – adding an assist from defence too.

The only issue with looking at a swoop for Young is that he’s listed as a midfielder in the Draft Fantasy database, meaning he doesn’t reap the full benefits that come with a United clean sheet.

It also means that there’s no chance to directly trade Kolasinac out – as it would need another defender to do so – meaning that any move for Young would need movement from the midfield.

Add to this the fact that Mourinho’s side face a daunting trip to Stamford Bridge this weekend and there’s no guarantee that the Portuguese boss won’t just set up to frustrate and leave with a point.

To say that opting for Young would be an outside punt is an understatement but his performances this season have merited him a spot in Mourinho’s plans for the time being – and could merit a spot in your fantasy team.

Harry Maguire – Leicester City

For a more outside option – and an option that has more of a chance of being unselected in your draft ten weeks into the season – Leicester City defender Harry Maguire is an interesting prospect.

Despite an underwhelming start to the campaign, which has seen the Foxes languishing around mid-table, the 24-year-old has continued in the same rich vein of form that saw him earn a big-money switch from Hull City to the King Power and ultimately earn a first call-up to England’s national side.

Leicester may have only kept three clean sheets so far but Maguire has still caught the eye and his old-school no-nonsense approach to defending has seen him excel under the newly-introduced ‘Kante Rule’, earning 19 points from this alone – only one less than Monreal at the top of the charts.

Maguire’s tendency to drift forwards and drive out of defence also lends him well in an attacking sense and it has shown, already scoring once and earning two assists due to his daring and expansive style of play.

The arrival of ex-Southampton boss Claude Puel could be the ideal man to help Maguire grow his game too, ironing out the creases and the sense of naivety that Maguire has, and he could be a shrewd alternative to Kolasinac.